Why did MS Dhoni miss CSK vs MI clash of IPL 2026?

MS Dhoni has not played any games for CSK in IPL 2026

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are taking on Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 44th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The encounter is underway at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Both teams have failed to make a mark in the tournament so far and find themselves in the lower half of the points table. The Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co. have won three games out of eight, while the Hardik Pandya & Co. have won two games out of eight encounters.

This is the second clash between the two sides in the ongoing tournament. In the previous match at the Wankhede Stadium, CSK outplayed MI by 103 runs. In tonight’s match, Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bat first. Notably, MS Dhoni is still not part of CSK’s playing XI.

Why is MS Dhoni absent from the CSK vs MI clash?

MS Dhoni has recovered from his calf injury but is still working on his fitness. He had suffered a calf injury before the start of the season. Since then, there have been regular updates about his recovery.

Ahead of the game, Dhoni was seen practising in the nets. The wicket-keeper batter also took part in batting drills and looked comfortable while hitting big shots. The biggest issue is his ability to run quickly during matches. His batting and wicketkeeping are not in doubt.

While he has been training regularly with the squad, there is still no clear answer about his return to the playing XI. Earlier, there were reports that Dhoni does not want to interfere with the team combination.

Recently, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey informed that Dhoni is working on his running between the wickets and is expected to play soon. Sanju Samson has taken the wicket-keeping duties in Dhoni’s absence.

At the toss of the CSK vs MI encounter, Gaikwad revealed that they have made two changes to their playing XI. Gurjapneet Singh and Akeal Hosein were rested for the encounter and replaced by Ramakrishna Ghosh and Prashant Veer.

“We were looking to bat first. The wicket looks good, little bit on the direr side, won’t change much. A tough track to bat on, last game. Confidence-wise everyone is right up there. Stick to the process, do the process right and result will come. (Ramakrishna) Ghosh comes in for Gurjapneet Singh and Prashant Veer comes in for Akeal Hosein”.

CSK’s playing XI vs MI: Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary.

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